Just One Thing
by ShadowRose-SCW
Summary: Admit it - this is probably all it would've taken for the Kira investigation to wrap up in half the time it took the actual series.
1. Sachiko

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note.

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"_What_?! Does it have to be _now_?" Sayu protested, eyes large

I sighed softly. "Your father has been working all-nighters lately without a change of clothes, so you're going to bring these to him."

"But _Mom_, I totally promised my friends I'd hang out with them today!"

"It'll only take about half an hour to finish. I'm sure your friends can wait a little."

"Why don't _I_ go? I could use a break."

We turned to look at Light, who'd just stepped into the room. It was such a surprise and relief – he hardly left his room anymore. I'd been starting to get a little worried for him.

"Thanks, Light!" Sayu chirped. "I owe you one."

I hesitated; this wasn't the first time Light had gotten Sayu out of an errand before – he was a very kind older brother that way. But still … sometimes, he was a little _too_ kind. I turned back to my daughter. "No, Sayu. I want _you_ to take those clothes to your father."

Both of my children stared at me. There was surprise on their faces, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had some of it in my own expression; I'd always believed in letting them negotiate these sorts of things between themselves. And it always was so very nice of Light to always help out Sayu when she needed him.

But Sayu was growing up – it wasn't good for her to keep relying on her older brother to bail her out of so much so often.

"A-are you sure, Mom?" Light asked me, his eyes filled with a new uncertainty.

"Yes," I replied.

"Aw, Mom!" Sayu whined as she got up from the couch. She snatched the bag out of my hands and sulked out the door.

"Is something wrong, Light?" I asked as my eldest abruptly turned away from me.

"Nothing, Mom." But despite his words, he stalked back up to his room with a strange glint in his eyes. It was almost as if he was frustrated. And maybe he was.

I sighed again. Truly, he doted on Sayu far too much.

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**Author's Note:** You can see everything going downhill for poor little Light from here, I think. And Naomi gets to live in this AU! Yay!


	2. Aizawa

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

_Author's Note_: And then there's always this scenario.

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That L sure is a strange guy. The way he sat, the bags under his eyes, and what on earth was he thinking when he did that finger gun thing? '_Bang'_? I guess it's not really any of my business as long as he does his job well, but it's still odd.

"– Just need some sort of identification," said a familiar voice.

I turned to it. "Light, what're you doing here?"

The Chief's son flinched slightly at my voice before turning around. Whoa, the kid was talking to a gorgeous woman – no wonder he didn't want me to say 'hello'. His lady friend peeked over at me as he mumbled out what might have been a greeting.

A speck of snow landed on my shoulder, but I was too close to the police station to really consider taking my umbrella out now. I'd just excuse myself from Light quickly and hope I hadn't ruined his chances with her.

But then the woman gasped slightly. "Are you part of L's team, too?" she asked me earnestly, blue eyes bright.

_Wait, _what_? What does she mean by 'too'? _ I turned back to Light slowly. "Light, what did you tell her?"

The teenager's face became flustered, and then sheepish, then apologetic before turning flustered again. "I-I … I…"

I glared at him – I would've thought Light of all people was better than that. To think, the Chief's own son making up those sorts of stories just to pick a woman up!

The woman stepped forward. There was a determination so fierce in her expression – not to mention a slight mania in her eyes – that I took a small step back. "I have important information regarding the Kira investigation!"

I stared at her a moment before recollecting myself. "Um … alright, then," I said. "Come on inside the police station and we'll talk about it over there." I glanced at the Chief's still-flustered son. "Light, you should come in, too." I led them into the building and once inside, I pointed to a chair. "Light, I want you wait there while Miss…" I trailed off.

"Miss Maki," she supplied.

"Right. Light, wait here while Miss Maki and I talk." And with that, I left the teen to stew in his chair while I ripped apart whatever fool story he'd fed to the poor woman – for heaven's sake, she probably came here to give the police a possible lead, not to get a date! It's a good thing I came along, or we might have lost some valuable information!

Seriously, teenagers nowadays...

I hope he regrets every single lie he's told her.

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**Author's Note (again)**: To avoid any and all confusion, just in case you didn't see the chapter title, this chapter was written in Aizawa's point of view.


	3. Withdrawals and Desk Traps

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note.

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"Alright, now we can _really_ get down to business!" Light declared to the air. His voice was filled with a confidence and cheer that sickened the creature not too far away from him.

Ryuk was a groaning tangle of twitching limbs on Light's bed. The withdrawal symptoms were coming soon, the shinigami could feel it. Damn Light... If the kid had just practiced a _little_ self-restraint, Ryuk just _knew_ he wouldn't be in this apple-less situation-

Wait a minute...

"Hey, Light," he called out, even though he knew the teen couldn't respond. A small pause in his writing the only indication he'd even been heard. "You just opened that bag now, right? But then … how'd you get that mini TV in it without any of the cameras catching you?"

This time, the scratching of pencil on paper stopped completely.

Light chuckled within the depths of his mind. Ryuk was such a fool – with his expensive watch that sported a hidden compartment within it as well as the spare 400 bucks that'd suddenly appeared in his savings, hadn't the shinigami realized by now that the authors favored Light? And why wouldn't they? After all, he was Kira.

"O-oh, it's starting!" Ryuk cried even as he threw his shaking hands up into the air.

And because Light was Kira, he would also be able to completely ignore the twitching and shrieking shinigami in his room.

… Or, at least, he _should_ be able to, in theory.

But then, that's the problem with theories – they're not facts. And even Light, for all his self-control and maturity, is still just a teenager. A hormonal teenager who can almost _feel_ his self-restraint being whittled down with each horrible gurgling scream Ryuk made.

To his credit, he managed to last almost two hours.

Then his final thread of patience snapped.

"Ryuk, will you please _just SHUT UP!_" he roared. His pencil flew across the room and straight through the shinigami. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor. Still, Ryuk kept on going with his hysterics.

Light jumped up from his chair, abandoning any hope of work tonight and – at the moment – not even remotely caring for the eyes that were surely watching him through the cameras installed in the house. He stalked across his room, making sure he stepped through the still-violently convulsing shinigami on the middle of his floor, and sprawled himself on his bed to press the pillow over his ears. Light squeezed his eyes shut and wondered if Ryuk would follow him if he went downstairs.

He probably would.

So Light stayed in his room. He didn't want to have to explain his mood to Sayu and his mom, anyway.

Unfortunately, the pillow couldn't block out all of the awful sounds Ryuk made, and Light threw it away with a sound of disgust he didn't hear himself make. Then, he resorted to the oldest method – plugging his fingers into his ears.

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_In a certain hotel room…_

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"Soichiro, perhaps your family _is_ innocent," L said thoughtfully, finger to his lips. "Still, I recommend that we continue monitoring your son for now to make sure he doesn't do anything … extreme."

Light's father nodded numbly as he stared at the screen showing Light rocking himself back and forth with his fingers in his ears. He'd had no idea … his poor son! Light! What was happening to him? And for how long has he been doing things like this?

"Perhaps it would be a good idea if you were to inspect Light's room personally sometime soon," the younger detective continued. "You should make sure that Light keeps nothing dangerous on or near him. Check everything, and be wary of any possible hiding places."

"Yes, yes," Soichiro muttered as he stood. "L, if I may, I would like to leave right now."

"Of course. I'll contact you if he starts doing anything remotely dangerous while you're on the road."

"Thank you." Soichiro threw his coat on and practically ran out the door.

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_The next day…_

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The next morning was, for Light, like waking up sober after a very long night of drinking, minus the memory-loss. But still, the cringe-worthiness of his recollection of his outburst almost made him wish he _had_ gotten amnesia.

He must have looked completely insane on the cameras, yelling at an entity the no one else would have been able to see. A shudder went down his spine as he imagined his father, of all people, watching his fit of temporary insanity.

Ugh, it was all that damn shinigami's fault! Why couldn't Ryuk go somewhere else for a few minutes to eat his apples? It wasn't as if they were _chained_ together. And now there was nothing for Light to do but go to school while his father stayed at home, because apparently, L had been _so_ kind as to allow the man a day off in the middle of the investigation of a serial killer.

Strangely enough, his father had forced him to turn out his pockets and show him the contents of his schoolbag before Light had had to leave the house (did Soichiro think he was on drugs?). And now, he was sitting in his classroom with a stormy tension building up inside his head and a terrible feeling at the pit of his stomach. His father was probably searching his room right now – why else would he have stayed home from work? – and Light just _knew_ that something was going to go very wrong very soon.

But still, if he was being honest, what was the worst that could happen? How would his father even notice that _that_ particular drawer had a fake bottom, let alone know how to open it correctly?

And with that reassurance keeping his worry from eating him from the inside out, Light swam through his classes and into his lunch break.

Then his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Light! Light, this is Mom," came his mother's hysteric voice.

He had a bad feeling about this…

"Mom? Why are you calling? What's wrong?"

A _really_ bad feeling.

"There was a house fire! What on earth did you do to your desk?! Your father nearly burned himself! Light, answer me!"

Kira sat, speechless, his mouth open, eyes wide, heart pounding in his chest. The Death Note had been destroyed. His hopes and dreams and purpose were all … _gone_. His game with L had burned to ash in his house. And when criminals stop dying after a week or two, what would the police think?

Everything was ruined!

And all because of Ryuk's stupid apple withdrawals!

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**Author's Note:** Okay, so I'm a bit iffy with how this chapter came out, but I did my best. I really hope you enjoyed it.

And also, a great many thanks to all the people who faved, followed, and/or reviewed this fic! It was really encouraging, and helped me finish writing this chapter.


	4. Pins and Notebooks

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

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It was so hard not to give even a hint of a smile as Light finished the last stroke of kanji in Higuchi's name.

_40..._

Still keeping his handiwork covered, Light slipped the hidden compartment containing the Death Note scrap back into his watch and turned to L. "If you don't mind, I'd like to check the names here against the list of Kira's victims."

…_33_…

"Hmm?" L blinked as he pulled his attention away from the arrest. "Oh, right … of course. That's a good idea."

As Light pretended to look through the names in the pages, he kept an eye out for the face of his watch.

…_26_…

"You know," he started again. "It would be interesting to take an analysis of what this thing is made of."

…_19_…

"What are you talking about?" L eyed Light curiously. "You know that analyzing the materials of something like that is pointless."

"Oh, yeah," Light chuckled.

…_11_…

Only a few more seconds left.

…_10_…

…_9_…

Light looked up at the scene playing out before his eyes. His heart pounded in his chest. This was the longest 40 seconds in his life.

…_3_…

…_2_…

…_1_…

Higuchi, blinded and gagged, was led into the police car without incident.

_What_? Light gaped at the relatively peaceful arrest. Why hadn't he-? But he was supposed to-! _WHAT WENT WRONG?!_

After throwing a glance at the detective beside him, Light took out the hidden compartment in his watch. His eyes fell on white paper, blemished only by a few tiny specks of blood. The kanji he had thought he'd written were nowhere to be seen.

But _why_…? Light pulled out the needle he'd used. He quickly pricked himself again and tried to draw a line on the paper. To his growing horror, the red line he was expecting didn't appear and at that moment, Light learned something his mother could have told him.

Pins aren't made for writing.

Whatever! Light snapped the compartment back into his watch. Forget the pin, forget Higuchi – right now, the most important thing was keeping hold of the notebook; if he lost his memories again, there was no guarantee he'd ever get them back.

He wasn't down yet - he just needed to buy himself some time with the notebook. He _would_ win.

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_Later at headquarters (L's POV)_

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"I just want to read the rules one more time!" Light insisted as he held the Death Note away from me like I was trying to snatch away his firstborn son.

"Light, all I am asking is that you allow the other Task Force members to hold the notebook so they can see the shinigami. Then, I will conduct a few tests on it – as I've already told you before." And I was getting tired of repeating myself. "Believe me, the Death Note will not disappear from our possession."

"_Believe you_?! _You_ accused me of being Kira for more than two months!"

What did that even have to do with this? I resisted the urge to wipe my hand over my face - we'd returned from Higuchi's arrest over half an hour ago, and he _still_ wouldn't let go of the thing. "Light, stop this. You have had more than enough time with the notebook, and you know it. Do not make me seize it from you by force."

"L, the rules of the Death Note state that anyone who touches it will die if it's destroyed! Do you really want the rest of the Task Force to-"

"For the last time, Light!" I growled. "I will not endanger the notebook, so just give it to me!"

Light glared at my outstretched hand like he wanted to bite it off. And maybe he really did want to. It didn't matter; I was getting the Death Note one way or another, and kicking Light would be far more satisfying now that we weren't chained together.

I was disappointed and relieved when he finally handed over the notebook with all the reluctance one can put into a single action.

But as soon as his hand left the Death Note, the changes in his features were so noticeable that it couldn't be dismissed. His stance was instantly more relaxed and the narrowed look in his eyes disappeared along with the strange animosity I had sensed from him ever since we'd left the helicopter.

…Ever since he'd gotten a hold of the Death Note.

Could it be possible that the notebook has a psychological effect on certain people…?

There was only one way to find out.

I shoved the Death Note back at Light. The resounding scream that escaped him must have made its way through the walls as well, because Soichiro instantly burst through the kitchen door – I believe he'd been brewing coffee for the team – at the sound of his son's tortured voice.

"Ryuzaki, what do you think you're doing?!" he roared. His fury was understandable, but something I would just have to deal with later. I ignored the stares from the other Task Force members as well.

That scream … it was the same way he'd reacted when he'd first snatched the Death Note from my hands in the helicopter…

I ripped the notebook out of Light's hands before the teen could completely recover from his fit, and he stared at me dazedly. "What just happened?" he asked as he plopped himself down on the nearest computer chair.

Did it only occur when his hands made contact with it, or…?

I placed the notebook on top of Light's head and he instantly started screaming again. For someone so quiet, he really had a pair of lungs on him. I hastily snatched back the Death Note before Soichiro pummeled me. And as soon as I took the Death Note off Light, his fit ended as well.

"Light, do you remember anything that happened while you were holding this notebook?"

"No," he groaned as he held his head in his hands. "Ryuzaki, what did you _do_ to me? I feel like my head's about to split open."

"_Fascinating_," I murmured. "Your reaction to physical contact with the Death Note is something unique to only you." But what could that mean? I whipped around to face Light's father. "Soichiro – no, _all_ of you – make sure that Light _never_ touches the notebook. Matsuda, take the Death Note and pass it around to the others, quickly. We need to get to the bottom of this."

…Which more than likely meant grilling the tall, skeletal thing skulking around in Higuchi's cell. The tall, skeletal thing that I had absolutely no way to threaten or bribe or even keep in the building if it so decided it wanted to leave.

Oh, joy.

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**Author's Note:** I apologize for the quality of this chapter - I've been feeling under the weather lately, so the editing process has been a lot slower than usual, and I'm sure I've missed a lot of things (not to mention, I'm pretty sure I wrote L in an out-of-character way). Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it.

I tried writing with a pin. It didn't work.


	5. Spell Check

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

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It was time to see if the Death Note really worked.

Light uncapped his pen. This time, his guinea pig was the lowlife at the opposite side of the store window, harassing a female passerby.

Shibuimaru … Tako? Or was it Takuo? Light frowned slightly as his hand hesitated, pen hovering just above the white paper's surface. The man's voice had been slightly muffled when the moron had announced his name in the middle of the street, and there was more than one way to spell 'Shibuimaru', which made for quite a few possible spelling combinations for the lowlife's name.

…Whatever. He had more than enough paper, anyway.

With a small flourish, Light wrote out all the possible combinations he could think of for Shibuimaru Takuo, or Taku. One of them had to be right.

Now … would it work?

His heart sped up ever so slightly with an unreasonable excitement he can't recall ever having felt before, and his breath caught. The seconds passed, and–

Nothing happened.

Well, of _course_ nothing would happen! Light almost felt ridiculous. Wait, no, he _did_ feel ridiculous. How could he have thought for even a second that the Death Note would actually work? It was just an idiotic prank by some twisted kid. He snapped the notebook shut, stuffed it into his backpack, and marched out of the store, face flushed. And his face stayed that way as he shooed away Shibuimaru from the young woman he was harassing – it disgusted him how not even one person had bothered to even _try_ to help the girl out – and fast-walked home, head down.

He threw the source of his embarrassment into a random rubbish bin on the way to his house, hoping he'd never have to see it again. And for the rest of the week, he would blush slightly every time he saw the cover of a black notebook.

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**Author's Note**: So I'm back, and I'm all well now (sorry for the delay).


	6. Extra Chapter: Allowance

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Author's Note**: This little bonus chapter was written for all the people who wondered where Light got all his money.

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There was a bitter taste in his mouth as he handed over the money for the magazine needed for his cover.

Light never spent his allowance. _Ever_. …Or, at least, not when he could help it. Since the day Soichiro had deemed him responsible enough to handle money, Light had been determined never to waste a single cent. After all, why should he fork over his precious yen to the grumpy old cafeteria lady when he could just bring his lunch from home?

Eventually, though, Light had been forced to recognize that there were times when spending even a little money was inevitable – family presents and the occasional outing with some of his classmates especially came to mind. Still, he'd done his best, scrimping and pinching for a reason he didn't even know.

And now, he was opening his wallet for a magazine full of the most useless kinds of drivel he'll probably ever have the displeasure of reading.

Stupid cameras.

Several days earlier, Light had made a more respectable purchase in preparation for the inevitable surveillance of his house. Unfortunately, mini LCD TVs are also far, far, _far_ more expensive than any magazine will ever have a right to be. But he needed it - badly. And so, in a single moment, almost a decade's worth of his savings were reluctantly handed over the counter.

Oh, the things he was willing to sacrifice for this rotten world…

Light had hurried out of the electronic store right afterwards – no need to have anyone see him there – and made a beeline for the nearest convenience store's snack selection.

With a great precision unbefitting the situation, Light picked out a flavor of chips his family would never even think of touching and promptly bought it. After stuffing the mini TV into the bottom of the chip bag, he closed it up again with the handy little re-sealer he'd brought with him from home. He would've bought some more snacks to make absolutely sure his family left his bag of chips alone, but … well, he didn't have a lot of change left on him.

No one ever said victory came cheap. And true to that, after Light bought the magazine, he hardly had enough money left to buy a popsicle.

It was a good thing his allowance was due in a couple of days...

The morning after he'd implemented his plan - not to mention suffering through Ryuk's withdrawal period - Light watched as the mini TV was thrown out along with the rest of the household trash. And even though he would never admit it, somewhere deep, deep, deep, deep, _deep_ down inside himself, a miniscule part of him broke down and cried as the plastic bag holding the mini TV disappeared into the garbage truck.

"I can't decide if you're extremely generous or just a spoiled brat," Ryuk remarked. "Didn't that mini LCD TV cost you 39, 800 yen?"

Light threw a contemptuous glance at the shinigami. Was it his fault that L was such an expensive opponent?

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I apologize for any mistakes that slipped through the editing process.


	7. The Watch

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Author's Note**: A bit of warning - this chapter is a little sad.

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Soichiro sighed as he reached the bottom of the Death Note's scratchy list of rules. How could such an innocuous-looking thing have taken so many lives? He flipped through the pages halfheartedly - pausing once to raise his eyebrows at Lind Taylor's angrily scrawled name - before setting it down on the coffee table.

He was so tired…

Soichiro drew a hand down his face. After a night like this one, he just wanted to take Light and go home, see his entire family, have a meal with them… Had Sachiko and Sayu already eaten another dinner without him and Light? He looked down at his watch–

Wait. Soichiro had given Light a watch upon his graduation from high school … one with a little hidden compartment … and the weapon Kira used was a notebook…

"Light!" Soichiro shot up and rushed towards his surprised son. "Show me your watch!"

"W-what?" Light stammered for the first time his father could remember. "Dad, are you alright?"

"Just show it to me!"

"I … I …" There was fear in Light's eyes, fear that somehow found its way into Soichiro's heart only to spread throughout his entire being. His son couldn't be Kira, could he? Not after all this time! But if he wasn't Kira … then why would he be afraid?

"What's wrong, Light?" L broke in, a gleam of interest in the genius detective's eyes. "Just show your watch to Mr. Yagami."

"…Fine," Light finally conceded, his expression veiled. He slipped the timepiece off his wrist and offered it to Soichiro who promptly snatched it up. He pulled the little knob four times and the disk popped out–

Holding a white scrap of paper bearing Higuchi's name in an ominous red ink.

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	8. Justice or Family

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Author's Note**: This chapter is from an early suggestion of _Kristyn S_. If anyone else would like to suggest/request anything, please feel free to leave it in a review or PM me.

The walls in the Yagami household are very thin, it seems...

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"Come on! Is that all you've got?!" Light taunted the TV screen. He'd killed L. _He'd killed L_! And never had he felt more alive! His harsh laughter rang off the walls … and straight into the next room where his younger sister held a working recorder.

Tears threatened to pour down Sayu's cheeks, but she bit her lip and held them in. She'd been hearing strange laughter and yelling from his room lately, so she'd started making records of it; if Light was breaking down, she'd need some evidence to show their dad so they could get him some help right away. But now…

She needed to get these recordings to Dad soon. He'd know what to do!

But … it wasn't as if Sayu could just give them to Dad at the dinner table. She needed to figure out how and when to hand them to him – and how to act normally around Light until then.

She flinched as, in the next room, her older brother began proclaiming himself to be justice.

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_Several days later…_

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"Sayu, would you please take these to your father for me?" Sachiko held out the bag of clothes to her daughter.

Sayu stared at the bag for a moment before a large smile broke out on her face. "Sure, Mom!" Finally! The perfect opportunity had arrived! She snatched the bag from her mother's hands. "Just let me get my jacket!"

Sachiko stared at her youngest child's back as Sayu bounded up the stairs before shaking her head and moving to the kitchen.

After closing the door behind herself, Sayu grabbed the first jacket she saw before promptly stuffing all her recordings on Light into the bag, hiding them under the clothes. Hopefully, they'd get to Dad.

She swallowed as her heart thudded and her palms began to shake slightly. The evidence she'd gotten on her older brother was damning. Light would surely be sent to jail. Did she really want to do this?

Wait, what was she thinking?! Her father had always said that people shouldn't kill other people, and that justice must be delivered to those who were wronged. And if it were Dad being put through this … he would surely turn Light in, too.

The thought wasn't much comfort to Sayu as she practically fled from the house to deliver the bag full of clothes and evidence.

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**Another Author's Note**: Not my most well-written chapter, but I did the best I could with the idea.

Thank you for reading, I hope you still enjoyed it!


	9. Matsuda's ABCs

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

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L drew a hand down his face. He had just spent a good part of the night staring at the Death Note rules until the words were burned into his mind, as if doing so would give him the last thing he needed to finally close the investigation.

Maybe some sleep would do him good, in this one instance. And oh, how the bed would feel tonight without a handcuff! He would finally be able to relish the feel of the pillows and the sheets and the-

"Still brooding over that, huh?"

It was hard to resist the nearly animalistic urge to jump when Matsuda's ever-merry voice came out from behind L. As his heart rate slowed back down, he turned to face the slightly older detective. "I thought you'd turned in for the night along with the rest of them."

Matsuda shrugged as he walked up to the Task Force's insomniac. "Couldn't sleep … hey, do you mind letting me see that notebook again?"

L hesitated; something in Matsuda's voice was … off. And why would he want to see the Death Note again? Well, whatever the reason, it wasn't as if he would do anything to it - this was Matsuda_, _after all.

…Which, of course, also meant that there was a high risk of the Death Note somehow catching on fire – _because_ this was Matsuda – or exploding – again, Matsuda – or flying into a shredder the Task Force's headquarters didn't have – _Matsuda_ – but that was alright because there was a fire extinguisher just a few feet away from where L sat, and he wasn't afraid to use it.

Wait. L forced his imagination to halt as the logical part of his exhausted brain struggled to take over.

Matsuda was childish - he was not, however, the embodiment of chaos.

Sort of.

Maybe.

Not quite, anyway – not unless last month's Halloween fiasco counted. Which it didn't … did it?

A bowl of purple-red punch burst into the forefront of L's mind's eye and he shivered ever so slightly. Yes, he decided. It counted. Very, _very_, much so.

He held out the Death Note to Matsuda as he angled himself towards the fire extinguisher.

Matsuda flipped forward a few pages before staring down at the notebook, eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated. Finally, he placed it down on L's work desk and started fishing for something in his jacket. "L," he said, his voice heavy. "I didn't want to believe this, but … I found this in my drawer recently." He took out a wrinkled paper from one of his pockets and smoothed it out as best he could. "Look. That handwriting in the notebook is the same as here, see?"

L leaned over to stare at the paper, heart starting to pound. The letters on Matsuda's paper … it was written in the exact same style as Lind L. Tailor's name! "Who wrote this?" he demanded.

Matsuda, however, looked taken aback at the question. "It was Light, can't you remember? You were there!"

"Light," L whispered. Why ... why, yes! How could he have forgotten that day?

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_A few weeks ago…_

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"Hey, Light, L," Matsuda called out as he walked into the Task Force's main room. "Can I ask one of you a favor?"

L closed his eyes and started counting to ten while Light whipped around to face Matsuda with a coffee-induced morning smile. "What can we help you with, Matsuda?"

"Well, you see, a lot of Kira's victims are from different countries, so some of their names are written in English, but I'm having some problems reading the weird letters..."

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_Shortly after…_

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"How can you _still_ not understand this?!" Light cried as he buried his face into his hands. A manly tear or two threatened to escape him.

"Light, you are the worst tutor in the world," L observed, a finger on his lip. Honestly, he couldn't get anything done with the noise they were making. He threw a glance at Matsuda, who sat in a miserable silence with the most desolate expression any man can have. "Perhaps I should take over–"

"No!" Light snapped. He straightened up, a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he began scratching out English letters again. "I w_ill_ teach Matsuda how to read this damned alphabet!"

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_Present Day_

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L's eyes (somehow) glittered, a smirk slowly dawning on his face. It had paid off! His chain-my-suspect-to-me-24/7 plan _worked_! All the sleep he'd lost due to Light's snores, the complete displeasure of housing the boy's squeaky-voiced girlfriend, the absolute lack of privacy, _it was all worth it_.

L scooped up the precious pieces of evidence, bid Matsuda a good night and hurried off to his room. He would make the announcement tomorrow, when everyone was awake and out of their pajamas. But for now, he needed to sleep before he collapsed.

But _not_ before he locked the paper and Death Note up in a secret little safe his bedroom had.

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* * *

**Author's Note**: This chapter's idea was suggested by an anonymous reader. I did the best I could with it, even if the way I put things was really random.

I apologize for any errors in the work that might have slipped through the editing process. And L's room has a safe because, well ... it's his room.


	10. Extra Chapter: The Tinkerer

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Author's Note**: Ryuk decides, for once, to think a little practically.

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In the empty room of an abandoned building, the fading sunlight streamed through open windows as the room echoed with the frustrated curses of a teenage boy surrounded by a handful of tools. His shinigami sat a few feet away, unsure if he should be amused or impatient.

Light Yagami was handsome, a junior tennis champion, top scorer in all of his classes, and he was _Kira_.

He was _not_, however, a mechanic. And he was starting to learn the hard way that just because he knew how to handle a few screws, didn't mean that he could construct a little secret compartment within the new watch Soichiro had gifted him with upon his graduation from high school.

Honestly, sewing was _much_ easier.

"And why," Ryuk asked, "do you need a secret compartment, again?"

Without looking up, Light replied, "Sooner or later, I'm probably going to get searched. When that happens, I need the Death Note scrap I'm carrying to be hidden somewhere no one else can find it."

"And that perfect hiding spot just happens to be inside your watch, huh?"

"Well, it's not like anyone will ever think to look at it too closely. And even if they do, I plan to put in a trigger for the paper to come out so that it doesn't just drop to the floor while I walk. It's perfect, really, when you think about it; no one would even fault me for always wearing this watch because, well, it's a gift from my father - why _wouldn't_ I wear it all the time?"

"It'll only be perfect if you can actually manage to put in a hidden compartment in there without making it noticeably different from how it was before. And also, how are you also going to stuff a sharp pin in there, too, without it slipping out and stabbing you? Exactly how big are you making the compartment, anyway?"

Light rolled his eyes. "Watch and learn. Soon you'll see that there's nothing I can't do once I've set my mind on it."

"Yeah, well, I still think this is a waste of time," the shinigami said with a nod towards the tools. "Chances are, you won't ever even have to use it."

"It doesn't matter if it's never used," the brunette dismissed. "When it comes to an enemy like L, you can never be too safe. And besides, luck favors the prepared – imagine the disaster that would have happened if I didn't have three ways to find out if someone had gone in my room?"

"Okay, fine, I get that you're paranoid … but why do you need the pin? Are you planning on scratching the name into the paper?"

"Don't be so strange, Ryuk – it's so I can write in my blood if I have to."

Ryuk stared at Light. Just … stared.

Light refused to scowl or even flinch as the shinigami burst into a sharp fit of laughter.

.

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* * *

The last couple of chapters really haven't been that great, but I just can't get back that inspiration I used to have for this fic. I'm not ending it - I might add some more chapters in the future - but life is getting a lot busier for me, and I can't write as much as I'd like. There are other fanfics I want to write, as well.

So thank you for reading 'Just One Thing' and for faving, reviewing and/or following! I never could have gotten to ten chapters without your encouragement.


	11. Love is in the Air

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Note:** Hi, everyone, sorry for the taking so long to update, but here's the new chapter! It's a little different from before - it's made up of two unrelated parts that are basically two takes of the same thing.

Version 1 is more about Light actually being arrested. Whether the pairing here is legitimate, however, is meant to be unclear.

Version 2 includes a definitely one-sided pairing, but it's implied that Light goes down in pretty much the same way.

* * *

Version 1

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Light glanced over at a suspiciously smug L who was looking at him with far too much poorly-hidden glee. What was the insomniac panda up to now?

"Light..." L began.

"Yes, L?"

"You are Kira."

"L," Light sighed as he turned back to the computer screen. "Please stop fooling around and go back to–"

"_You are Kira_."

Light stopped. He slowly turned to face his insane peer. There was no way L would have any sort of concrete evidence on him, _no way_. There was nothing in Light's newly-returned memories that told him of anything incriminating that L might find.. "L, we've been over and over and _over_ this again!" he groaned, drawing a hand over his face. "There is no proof!"

"Ah, but there is…"

Ice shot up Light's spine at L's words. At L's Cheshire cat grin. At the frightening gleam in his eyes. "What-"

"Misa confessed to your crimes."

What?! "But she's–"

"Loyal?" L cut in. "Devoted to a fault?"

"Well, yes… but ... oh, forget it - she's the second Kira!"

"I know. She and the shinigami cut a deal to lighten her sentence."

Light paused. Rem would back the ditzy blonde in anything, but Misa ... why would she do such a thing? What happened?

As if sensing the teenager's confusion L said, "You didn't take into account how your attitude towards her would change how she feels about you. She's not quite _that_ blind. And you would be amazed at what even a single act of kindness can do."

Light glanced around the workroom. Everyone was looking at them, how had he not noticed earlier? "But she swore-"

"But things changed."

"_What_ changed?"

"We fell in love."

For the longest moment, the words just didn't register in the entire Task Force's mind. Because Misa was – and they were – how – when – why … _how?!_

"…_WHAT?!_" came the unanimous cry.

"But that's not even in canon!" Light had to restrain himself from trying to tear out his own hair."You hate her, and she … is … indifferent about you…" Come to think of it, how _did_ Misa feel about L?

"Nonsense," L dismissed. "I believe there was an episode where she pecked me quite fondly on the cheek."

"That was _one time_!" Light howled, the fire in his head lighting back up. "And you hated it, I _know_ you did!"

"Now, now, Light," the spindly panda chided. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"_Of course not!_"

"When did it even happen?" Matsuda wondered.

L simply shrugged as if he couldn't care less about that part of the story, or like he couldn't be bothered to tell them of his epic tale of romance. Either – if not both – were very likely. "It just did. In any case, she's willing to testify against Light."

Soichiro bowed his head and took in a deep breath before getting a hold on his son. "Light, you are under arrest."

"No!" Light cried, jerking away from his father's hand. "I still have so much I want to do! So many people I still have to kill!"

"Take him away, Mr. Yagami," L said softly even as Light started screaming various obscenities at them.

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* * *

Version 2

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L stared at the blonde teenager with no small amount confusion.

"Well, what are you looking at me like _that_ for?" Misa Amane chirped. "Open up your present, silly!"

Oh, the irony… "Misa, why are you giving me a present?"

"Because I wanted to, of course! We're friends, aren't we?"

They really weren't. "…We are…"

"Well, then, what's the problem?"

"…Nothing." L snatched the elaborately wrapped box from Misa's outstretched hands. Shook it. There was a little rattle inside. He placed it on a convenient nearby table and ignored the blonde's resulting pout. "Misa, you've been acting quite strangely around me for some time now. Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

She laughed nervously as a perfectly manicured hand reached up to play with her hair. "Strangely? I-I don't know what you're talking abou-"

"Come now, don't be modest," L chided. "I'm not quite so blind to the things you've been doing recently." And oh, how _awkward_ it had made him. Didn't girls know how to keep their hands to themselves anymore?

"I-I…"

"Misa," he murmured. "I don't have all day. I'll have to get back to the Task Force soon."

"I-I … I … _I like you_!" Misa practically screamed as her face turned beet red. Even her hair looked frazzled by the announcement.

Oh. "That's … a bit of a problem now, isn't it?" L asked slowly. Be smooth, Lawliet.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Well, you are also devoted to Kira, are you not?"

"Of course! He saved me…"

…Right. "But I am trying to bring Kira to justice, and Kira is after my head. If it all came down to it, who would you choose to side with?"

"I … I don't know…"

L let out a greatly exaggerated sigh. "I see." He began his retreat back to the workroom.

"…Wait!" Misa cried just as he was about to exit. "I choose you, _I choose you_!"

L whirled around. "_Why?_" Alright, maybe he shouldn't have sounded so horrified by an answer that worked in his favor, but really, what was the girl _thinking_?!

Misa faltered. "Because … because you're nicer to me than Light has ever really been, and you're here, and you're real, and because of the plot purposes of fanfiction authors!"

Ah, yes. L nodded sagely. It all made perfect sense now…

"But Misa," L said, his voice dropping into a murmur. "If you really do care for me, please! Tell me who Kira is, and I will pardon any aid you've given him!"

Misa gasped and fluttered her fake eyelashes at him. "Of course, I'll tell you! It's Light!"

L blinked. Was it really that easy? "You're … serious?"

"Of course! I wouldn't lie to you about something like this!"

"And you'll testify against him at court?"

"Yes!"

…Wow. Women were scary. "I take it, then, that you truly are the second Kira?" L murmured softly.

"W-well…"

"Don't worry, Misa, meant it when I said I'd keep you safe."

Misa fluttered, grabbing L's spindly hands. "Thank you!"

"…You're welcome…"

_And they walked happily into the proverbial sunset … sort of._

"Misa, will you please let go of my hand?"

"O-oh! I'm sorry!"

"...It's alright."

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* * *

**Author's Note**: So, this chapter is kind of strange and not that well-written (I have a feeling I might be editing this again once I'm able to get some sleep), but I hope you guys like it anyway.

I really am very sorry if I offended any MisaxL shippers in this chapter

_Thank you all so much for reading!_


	12. The Virtues of Patience

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

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"L, are you still not convinced of my son's innocence?" Soichiro asked tiredly one late night at the new Task Force building. "It's been two weeks."

"Indeed," the genius detective replied, a finger on his lip. "And in those two weeks, Kira's victims have been significantly reduced."

"What are you talking about?" Aizawa demanded. "Criminals have still been dying every day since you set up those security cameras in the chief's house. _Nothing_ has been reduced!"

L threw a very irritated look at his team. Truly, working with other people was always a headache; everyone always needed an explanation... He sucked in a breath. "None of the victims are ones that have been introduced recently – all of their crimes were reported before the cameras were set up in the Yagami home. In fact, only two truly new criminals were killed. And that is…" Interesting. "Suspicious. And so, I would like to continue surveillance over Light for the next few weeks."

As Soichiro released an exhausted sigh, L couldn't help but throw the older detective the briefest of sympathetic looks.

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* * *

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Light sat on the park bench, clutching his head in his hands. Why wasn't L _doing_ anything?! By all accounts, he should have made some sort of move by now, but nothing was happening! His insurance was about to run out in a couple of days, but … there was nothing he could _do_! He couldn't take the Death Note out because the cameras would catch him, but if he didn't do anything, the murders would stop, and L's suspicion would surely increase! He'd been banking on the common human's sense of urgency in such situations for L to do something that Light could somehow make use of, but since there was nothing…

He had nothing to work with. He didn't even have a scrap of the Death Note to save himself since he'd cleaned out his wallet just in case his father tried to search his regular items for anything suspicious; just one touch of the foreign paper, and the old man would've seen Ryuk, and that … that would have been bad.

But somehow, this seemed so, so much worse.

.

* * *

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"The murders have stopped," Matsuda reported with a note of surprise. "Competely."

"Interesting," L breathed, his eyes locked on the camera showcasing Light doing his homework. "Let's see how long this peace will last."

.

* * *

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"The cameras are gone," Ryuk said hopefully. "Does this mean I can eat apples here again?"

Light's heart drummed in his chest. L … why wasn't he watching anymore? If anything, surveillance should have been _increased_, so why-?

Wait a minute.

"That _bastard_," he snarled, throwing his homework off the desk in one sweep of his hand. "He's testing me again!"

Ryuk tilted his head. "But how?"

Light closed his eyes as he counted down to ten. Honestly, did Ryuk even have a brain? "The killings have stopped completely in the past few days, so L took out the surveillance cameras to see if I would start again. This means that even if I technically can start killing criminals again, I can't without bringing even more suspicion on me." If he began offing the criminals again, the cameras would come back, and he might even lose some of his favor on the Task Force. More people would be more suspicious of him. But more people would still be more suspicious if Kira just dropped off the face of the earth after the surveillance over Light's home, wouldn't it?

There was a loud thud as Light's fists connected with the desk. What was he going to do _now_?

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* * *

**Author's Note**: I can actually see this turning into some sort of cycle - L watches Light, Light acts normal until his 'insurance' runs out, L goes away (if only because he can't monitor the Yagami house forever), and Light starts murdering again (because he needs to entertain Ryuk or die). Rinse and repeat, until it becomes obvious to everyone that Light is Kira. That, or, you know, Light could just give up ownership of the Death Note, but we all know he's not going to do something like _that_.


	13. The Other Path

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note

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Light curled up in the safety of his comforter. The lights in his room were out, he couldn't stop shaking. Chills ran up and down his back even as a drop of sweat slid down his forehead.

Murder … he'd murdered two people. Shibuimaru Takuo, had he deserved his early death? Harassment didn't deserve execution, Light was sure of that much. But he hadn't thought the Death Note would actually work! But it had, and now … now…

He'd killed two people! His life was _over!_ Even if no one ever found out – and unless Light actually told someone, no one ever would – how could he live with himself? How could he face his father again the next time they had a family dinner? How could he look at his mother, and Sayu?

And there was the Death Note itself. What could he do with it? He didn't know anyone he could leave it with, and just abandoning it somewhere was far too dangerous – but so was bringing it with him everywhere. What if he dropped it somewhere by accident or if Sayu found it while poking through his things? No, no, _no_, it was all just too risky-!

His eyes fell on a half-melted candle standing on one of his shelves.

Ah.

He could do that, too.

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In an old, abandoned building, Light threw the Death Note into a metal bowl he'd brought from home. It was a Saturday, and his mother was out visiting some of her friends, so she wouldn't miss the item as long as Light hurried home.

Light fished a box out of his pocket and pulled out a match. He lit it. Took in a deep breath ... and finally, he dropped it into the bowl.

There was a chance it wouldn't burn, of course; Light had no idea what the Death Note was really made of, but it _looked_ like paper, so he was assuming it would burn like paper, too.

But if it did survive the fire?

...Well, he'd just have to see if this would work, first.

The flames licked at the black notebook before covering it entirely. To Light's utter relief, the fire ate up the Death Note until there was nothing left in the bowl but a pile of ashes.

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* * *

_Meanwhile, deep in the Shinigami realm…_

* * *

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"Wait, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, _no_, _no_, _NO,_ DON'T DO IT!" Ryuk screeched into the dusty orb. His new Death Note was in danger! What was the human brat _thinking_?! Burning a Death Note straight off the bat, that was … actually, that was very sensible. But _still_! "The shinigami king's gonna _kill_ me if I ask for another Death Note!"

In went the burning match! Its little flame spread inside the bowl, eating away at the Death Note until not even its sturdy cover was left unscathed.

Ryuk groaned, covering his ever-smiling face with his hands. He'd just been looking for a bit of excitement, that was all! But now, somehow, everything had turned into an inconvenience instead.

"I hate humans," he moaned, shoving the orb away from himself. He sighed and shook his head. Well, that was one experiment failed... At least, he could last a few good decades before he needed to go to the king of their realm and ask for yet another Death Note. The king would be annoyed then, but at least he wouldn't kill Ryuk. Still muttering, he spread his wings and took to the air.

He'd had such high hopes for that brat, too...

Hopefully, he'd have better luck next time.

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* * *

**Author's Note**: And thus, Ryuk's plan is thwarted! For now...


	14. CONSTANT VIGILANCE

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

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"Um…"

Naomi stopped again and turned to Light. "Yes?"

Sheepishly, Light said, "The truth is, it's impossible to contact the team of investigators."

"Oh?" That seemed like an odd thing to do…

"Don't you think it's weird that nobody's at headquarters?"

"Well, it _is_ a bit strange."

"It's because the Kira case investigators are using the 'unknown investigation team strategy'. If we don't use this method, there might be more victims like your husband. That's why there's nobody at headquarters – you'll never be able to contact them."

Naomi's breath caught, but she kept her gaze level. "How do you know all this?"

"That's because…" Light took in a deep breath, "I'm a member of the investigation team."

Naomi's jaw dropped. "What! You're a member?"

"Yes – L is in charge now."

"No surprise there," Naomi muttered.

"He's been troubled by the lack of progress lately," Light continued. "It's mostly because many investigators quit in fear of Kira. But even though I'm in high school, I've solved difficult cases before. That's why I can walk casually in and out of the headquarters as a person recognized as part of the team."

Naomi stared at him. Did he really just say that? Did Light really just tell a random woman he'd met no more than an hour before that he was part of a secret team? What was L thinking, bringing in a teenager who – smart as he might be – would spill his membership of said team so easily? No matter how low on people they were, _no one_ would _ever_ consider that kind of security risk!

Something felt ... off. Was Light lying? Or was he telling the truth? Was L's team truly so desperately small that they brought someone as open as Light into the fold?

She turned away from Light. "I'm sorry, but I'd still very much like to visit the NPA building."

"But it's useless-!"

"Then it's my own time I'll have wasted," Naomi cut in a little sharply as she walked away. "But if you really are part of L's investigation team, then you can tell him everything I've told you." It was a morbid time for any sort of humor, but a part of her wondered, with a small amount of amusement, if L would be able to figure out it was her just by the tip.

He probably could – if he wanted to.

Naomi stepped into the building and shook the snowflakes out of her hair as she made her way to the front desk once again.

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* * *

**Author's Note**: This was written for _Whovian Epic-chan_, who pointed out how out of character it was for Naomi to have taken Light's bait so easily.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	15. Leave the Paper Alone!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Author's Note**: This was written for _candyisyummy83_.

Seriously, though, L ... you grew up in an orphanage full of genius, hyperactive, and probably very nosy children. The possibility of Light having more than one way of knowing his door had been opened should have been obvious to someone like you!

* * *

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Everyone called it crazy.

Personally, L liked thinking of it as persistence. And yes, he knew he'd been pushing his investigation team a little far, but considering the gambit he was putting into play tomorrow and what little he knew about Kira's personality, he rather thought it would work. And if it didn't? Well, then they continued on with their work with nothing lost.

…Except for his credibility.

But he'd prove right. He was sure of it.

After enduring another gale of protests - and he was getting really tired of those - L finally managed to talk Mr. Yagami into installing a listening device in his son's room again. But this time, he went along. The tension between L and his main suspect's father was cold and stiff on the way to his house, but L had endured worse attitudes before. Besides, considering how the investigation was going, he would have been more surprised if the atmosphere was any different.

This time, when they opened Light's door, they left the paper scrap alone.

"But he'll know we entered," Soichro protested.

"He'll know _someone_ entered," L corrected. "And the most logical assumption he'll have is that the intruder was your wife. In any case, I don't believe that's the only trap he's put into place."

While L hunted for a good hiding place for the listening device, he pretended not to notice Soichiro looking at the door critically.

They left as quickly and quietly as they could and drove back to headquarters – or the hotel room that served as one for the moment, anyway.

Now, it was all up to L.

* * *

L settled himself down in front of the surveillance system next to Soichiro. The freshman orientation hadn't been very satisfying; he didn't receive much of a reaction from Light. In fact, the boy's reaction was … calm. Controlled.

It was almost unnatural. No disbelieving laugh, no gasp, no long moment to process that the homeless-looking young man in front of him might somehow be a world-famous detective. Even the children in the orphanage had more of a reaction whenever one of them saw him for the first time.

So L settled down next to Soichiro.

And…

...They…

...Waited…

Finally, just as L finished his second cup of tea, there was a click. Footsteps began emanating from the speaker. There was a squeak. Then, soft rustling...

_BAM!_

L twitched violently even as Soichiro very nearly fell backwards in his chair. Truly, the man's son was a walking jump-scare.

"_DAMN HIM_!" Light's voice raged. "HE PLAYED ME LIKE A FOOL! L, you _bastard_, I've never been this humiliated in my life!"

Soichiro and L took the few seconds of silence to resettle themselves in their seats before:

"IF HE'S NOT THE REAL L AND I KILL HIM, THEN L WILL KNOW THAT I'M KIRA!"

Ah, _there_ was L's confession! His plan had gone perfectly.

But still, Light continued. "Unlike you gods of death, we have to worry about what happens after we kill someone!"

_Interesting_…

"The Death Note only kills the person whose name is written in it," Light ground out. "I can't control the person to kill someone else."

And that right there was all the proof they needed. But they'd already searched his room when they monitored the household the first time so where would Light hide such a thing?

L threw a sideway glance at Soichiro and couldn't help the small weight that settled inside him. The older detective looked more and more devastated with every word that Light said and the teenager wasn't even done yet. Soichiro didn't seem like he was so bad a father for Light to have turned out as he had…

But then again, one's parents couldn't always be blamed for the actions their children chose, could they?

Both detectives flinched as demented laughter exploded through the speakers.

Silent but shaking, Soichiro stood up and began making his way to the door, though Light wasn't finished talking just yet.

"I recommend that you wait for Watari to call together the rest of the investigation team before apprehending your son," L said just as the older detective was stepping out the door. It seemed like a good idea to let Kira cool off a bit before surprising him with an arrest.

"I mean no offence, L," Soichiro replied stiffly, "But this is my son."

"And you have no idea what he might do to resist being taken in. Even if the 'death god' isn't simply an imagination of his, he's still unstable." L paused, sipping his tea, before conceding, "At least bring Watari with you if you won't wait for the others. He's stronger than he looks."

Soichiro let out a heavy sigh as he wiped hand down his face. "Fine."

Then, he was gone.

L sat back on the chair, satisfied. The case, troublesome as it was, was finally over. He could go back to England, maybe check on the orphanage for a change, maybe even lie low for a week or two - unless a particularly interesting case popped up. He doubted that a little, though; he estimated about nine days before the criminal population finally felt comfortable enough to resume their activities with their usual vigor again.

Light Yagami – it was an odd name, but not a bad one. Maybe he'd use it the next time he went undercover…

.

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	16. Brother

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Chapter Description**: No matter what anyone will ever do or say, Light will never stop being her brother.

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Light didn't think this could possibly happen. And how did it? He couldn't understand – couldn't _think_–

"Don't deny it. I know you're Kira." Sayu trembled, her eyes shining with tears. "How _could_ you?! How could you kill so many just like that?"

"You don't understand," Light said lowly. "I did it for you, for Mom, for Dad … I did it for the sake of the whole world!"

"How can you say that?!"

Light flinched. His sister's voice … it was too loud, too shrill - their mother would hear them if things continued like this…

"You're a _murderer_!"

"Sayu, lower your voice," Light growled. The words came out harsher than he'd meant them to be, but his heart was pounding and _why was this happening_?! What could he do now?! He couldn't simply make Sayu forget such a thing, and he doubted he could keep her quiet if she was confronting him like this. "How did you find out?"

A strangled laugh escaped his sister. "How did I find out?! You practically scream it from your room! How could I _not_ have found out?!"

Light gritted his teeth. He already knew without looking that Ryuk was watching on with his signature grin. The shinigami probably thought all of this the most amusing thing to happen in so long…

Light felt sick in his stomach.

"Sayu, this is…" He faltered, considering his words. "I'm doing this for the good of the whole world. Can't you see that? This world … it would be so much better if all those – those _scum_ just died. Please, I know you can understand that. Too many times, they still get away. This … this fixes that. This will fix everything."

He was pleading and he knew it. If things went badly, if he couldn't convince Sayu–

A chill went up Light's spine as he saw his sister's eyes harden. When he took in the way her shoulders hunched and her fists clenched, he knew.

"I can't believe you," Sayu said. Her voice was hushed and her head bowed slightly. "You're – you're _crazy_. You think you're doing this for Mom and for Dad-"

"I _am_–"

"It's _wrong_!" she shouted and somewhere inside, Light broke as he saw tears trail down his younger sister's cheeks. "It's _wrong_, Light! And – and if you can fool yourself into doing this, then … then, you're not giving me a choice."

Light's breath caught.

Sayu was going to turn him in.

He was going to jail – and he'd get the death sentence, for sure.

L would _win_.

But how could he stop Sayu if he couldn't convince her?

Unless…

"What are you gonna do, Light?" Ryuk asked somewhere behind him.

Light's gritted his teeth, his fists clenching. The damned shinigami sounded too smug for his own good. So _irritating_…

"Wait!" Light almost flung himself at Sayu as she turned to leave. He couldn't have her go – not yet. He could still salvage this, even if he didn't know how. He could, he _would_-!

His sister turned and he swallowed.

Sayu looked … afraid of him. But why shouldn't she be? He was Kira, and he had killed forty FBI agents and many more besides.

He was a murderer.

Was he going to kill his sister now, too?

What use was being a god of the new world if he had to kill his own sister? Would his father be next? His mother?

Where would all this end? Did it even _have_ an end?

"Sayu, please, I can't just stop. _Please_, you have to understand–"

"Understand _what_?" Sayu cut in. "_What_ do I have to understand about this that will make all of this _so much_ better?!"

"_I needed to make a difference_!"

Sayu's voice disappeared. Her mouth dropped open and she stared at her agitated brother.

"I needed to make everything end! For _years_, Dad has worked day in and day out, making sure to bring justice to those innocent lives that have been wronged! But _nothing is changing_! The criminals he catches are just replaced by new more and more and _more_ _and it just never ends_!"

He'd backed Sayu into the wall by now, and his hands firmly grasped her shoulders, ensuring she couldn't just run away. She looked so afraid that Light couldn't help but feel the same – or maybe he'd always been scared – and it hurt so much that he was the one frightening her.

"So you're going to burn the world until there's nothing left to hurt anything else?"

Light flinched, feeling the blow of his sister's quiet words. He felt so small, as if she were the one pinning him down with her gaze and not the other way around.

And finally, he understood.

He wasn't a god. He wasn't even a chess-piece. He was just a crazy new pet animal Ryuk was playing with until he got bored. Light was never going to win in this game and somewhere deep down, he'd always known that.

So, why should he even play?

Light turned away from his sister. He made his way to his desk and retrieved the Death Note. His heart thudded in his ears as he walked back to Sayu, who had stayed to watch him.

"This is the Death Note," Light said, fully aware that he was crossing the point of no return. Inwardly, he smirked at the confusion on Ryuk's gruesome face. "I found it one day and…" He took a deep breath. "When someone's name is written in it, that person dies."

"That's crazy."

_You're crazy_.

The statement hung in the air, but Light shook it away. He offered the notebook to his sister.

"Take it and see for yourself." In any case, there would be more proof of its power than the names on the pages once she touched the Death Note.

No amount of mental preparation would ever make hearing Sayu's shrill scream less painful to hear. Her knees gave out as she sank to the floor.

"W-w-what _is_ that?!" She pointed a trembling hand at Ryuk.

"Light, what are you doing?" The shinigami was wary now – as he should be.

"_That_ is a shinigami," said Light with a jerk of his thumb, never taking his eyes off his sister. "He gave me the Death Note." He paused, taking in a deep breath. He picked the notebook off the floor, brushing off imaginary dust with the back of his hand. "And now, I'm giving it back."

Light turned around, reaching the Death Note out at arm's length towards Ryuk. His throat tightened – this was it. His work, his dreams of a world cleansed from evil-

Had always been impossible. And it had been foolishness to ever have convince himself otherwise. Despite all his intellect and everything he knew…

He'd been a fool - the greatest fool in the world, granted. But he'd still been a fool.

Ryuk laughed uncertainly. "H-hey, come on, Light. You're not really serious, are you?"

Light looked at the shinigami square in the eye. "I am. All of this ends now, Ryuk. I'm giving you your Death Note back. Take it and go back to the shinigami world."

"Are you really sure?" Ryuk's eyes glowed red. "Your memories will disappear if you do this."

Somewhere behind Light, Sayu gasped. Light ground his teeth, struggling not to let his hand shake as he held the Death Note out.

"I'm sure. Now _go_."

For a moment, Ryuk just stared at Light. But then, the shinigami swiped the Death Note from Light's hand with a scowl, growling, "Fine. Have it your way. You could have had the world, Light."

"I would have destroyed it."

"Yes," Ryuk admitted, "you would have. And it would have been the most amusing thing."

Sayu stood shakily, holding onto Light's blazer. "You're a monster," she whispered.

"Wrong. I'm a shinigami." Ryuk stepped out onto Light's balcony with a huff, glancing back just one last time. He growled at the firm nod Light sent his way. Then, he spread his wings and flew into the starry night sky.

For a few minutes, neither Yagami spoke. But then, Light turned around, taking his sister's trembling hands off his blazer and pinched her cheeks. A boyish smile played on his face.

"What's got you shaking so much, Sayu?" he teased. "Did you watch another scary movie on TV?"

.

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**Author's Note**: This isn't exactly a funny chapter, but once I thought of it, the idea just wouldn't go away. Still, I really hope you enjoyed it!


	17. Extra Chapter: What's In A Name?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note

**Chapter Summary**: Things get lost in translation and L is hyper.

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L choked on his tea.

On the desktop monitor, there was a news article with the headline 'KILLER STRIKES AGAIN'. And of course, that alone wasn't funny – mass murder never was. No, it was the new name the media had dubbed the killer.

Killer.

That was it. No 'the', no slight reference in the name as to the man's MO, not even a nickname, just … Killer. It was a blank slate, a title that held nothing to it, not really – for all one can guess, Killer could have been a pesticide but even pesticides had better names than _that_.

Coughing, L settled back into his chair with a large grin and scrolled down the news page.

Truly, it was passive aggression at its finest.

The next day, Watari found L lying on the floor, shaking, while tears of laughter streamed down his face. Little noises slipped out of the pale detective's mouth as he bit unseemly giggles down into whimpers and whines.

"L! What–"

"Killer," L gasped even as a fresh wave of nearly hysteric amusement washed over him. "Killer is in Japan. _Kira_."

Watari's mouth opened but no sound came out.

"Oh, police officer!" L cried in a shrill, mocking voice, "Mr. Sparkles has committed _another_ murder!"

Very, very slowly, Watari backed away from the still-giggling detective. He exited the room and closed the door with the same care he'd taken walked out, if not greater. Shaking his head at himself, he resolved to lessen L's sugar intake. This was … this was just ridiculous.

.

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**Author's Note**: I have no idea where this came from. But it _is_ kinda funny when you think about how 'Kira' actually translates in English and that 'kira-kira' is the Japanese onomatopoeia for sparkling. The original idea for this chapter was that Mello and Matt would be making fun of the name but I couldn't get it right. Then, this happened. Hopefully, after this, my writer's block will go away...

This was an odd chapter to write and imagine, but I really hope you guys liked it anyway.

Thanks for reading!


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